The Kila Case: We Must Care for Each Other

For a few weeks now, one topic has been competing for attention with fuel prices, insecurity, and the latest political party shifts in Nigeria. It is the case of Anthony Kila, a man often seen on TV and reportedly suspended pro-chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, whom PREMIUM TIMES claims is a professor no recognized university ever made.

This issue raises questions that go beyond just one person. How should we treat someone facing such a situation? Should we find a way to ease his troubles? Is he merely an easy target, and who might be next?

These are valid questions that deserve thoughtful answers. My answer is simple. We need to look after him. We cannot ignore this matter.

What Is Happening?

Let me explain what we are discussing, for those who might not be aware.
On 3 October, PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation. It reported that it could not find any recognized academic institution that gave Mr. Kila the title of professor. For years, he has been introduced on TV and in newspapers as a “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development.” A week later, on 10 October, the newspaper published a second investigation. This one alleged that the problem was not just with the professorship but also with the academic qualifications Mr. Kila claimed, from his first degree to his doctorate.

Mr. Kila has not been silent. He insists that he is a professor and stands by his title. He said, “the facts and documentation will speak for themselves.” He also mentioned that he has told his lawyers to review the publication. That is his right. In the meantime, the university he chaired has suspended him, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is said to be looking into the matter.

I want to state this clearly: Mr. Kila is innocent until proven guilty. Nothing has been tested in a court of law. But we are beyond the stage of “if.” Specific allegations, detailed in the reports, are here. They will not disappear just because some of us find them uncomfortable.

We Should Care for Him

The case of Jason Arday is still fresh in our minds. He was celebrated in 2023 as the youngest black professor in the history of the University of Cambridge. He resigned on 5 August after allegations of plagiarism and questions surrounding parts of his biography. In his resignation statement, he said that constant accusations and public commentary had taken a heavy toll on him and those he loved. Nine days later, he was found dead at 41.

No one should wish that kind of end on anyone. I certainly do not wish it on Anthony Kila. We like to think we are strong people, but shame can be a heavy burden. None of us knows how much weight another person can carry.

Nigeria must prevent an Arday outcome. Mr. Kila’s family and friends owe him a duty of care. They should support him and, if needed, get him professional help. If the State calls him for questioning, it must also owe him that same duty. The rest of us can discuss the matter without making fun of someone in trouble. Ridicule does not equal accountability.

Still, the two cases are not the same, and we should not pretend they are. Arday was a black man at the top of a British system where blacks are about one percent of the professors. Many, including the Chancellor of Cambridge, saw the coverage as race-based hunting. Others disagree. That is a matter for Britain. This is a Nigerian newspaper asking about titles used in Nigeria. The allegations are different. Arday held a chair given to him by a real university, while with Mr. Kila, the question is whether the title exists at all. The common thread is the human being at the center.

So, Nigeria must prevent an Arday outcome. Mr. Kila’s family and friends owe him care. They should stay close, support him, and get him professional help if needed. If the State invites him for questioning, it will owe him that duty too. The rest of us can discuss the issue without making fun of someone in trouble. Ridicule does not equal accountability.

I want to add one more thing. Mr. Kila is said to be heading to court for civil remedies. I am glad about this. It is a good path, one that Arday did not choose. A man preparing his case is still standing. If his friends want to help him, they can contribute to his legal fees.

Duty of Care is Two-Way

This is where I disagree with the idea of a “soft landing.” I have not seen what a soft landing would involve or who would negotiate it. Would it be with the newspaper to stop publishing? Would it be with the anti-corruption agency to stop asking questions? Neither is ours to give away.

PREMIUM TIMES has done its part and should keep doing it. If there are mistakes in its reports, they should be fixed for the sake of accuracy. If it has more to publish, I would not discourage it. Being kind to the man does not mean staying silent about the issue.

More importantly, Mr. Kila also owes something. He owes it to the students and parents of the university he chaired. He owes it to the TV audiences who took his views seriously because of the title before his name. He owes it to those who listened to him. I count myself among them. He and I were on the same side in a campaign for restructuring Nigeria. He was the general secretary until it ended. I listened to him with respect.

A friend of his has publicly asked him to come clean and answer the questions raised. That is good advice from a good friend. He is free to stay silent and leave everything to his lawyers.

And since this is Nigeria, let me say the obvious. We have a long history of injunctions against further publication, investigations, and police invitations. It would be unfortunate if this case took that familiar route. A court is a place to prove one’s claims, not to avoid questions.

Is He an Easy Target? Who Is Next?

There are many familiar arguments for ignoring a case like this. He is brilliant and prolific, so he qualifies for the title anyway. We live in a world where certificates don’t matter. He is not in public service, so why the fuss? He is only being chased because of his outspoken views.

None of these convince me. If a man is brilliant, he does not need a borrowed robe. If certificates no longer matter, no one should need to claim one. And you do not have to be a government worker to hold a position of public trust.

So here is my position. Let his family and friends support him. Let PREMIUM TIMES finish its work and correct any mistakes. Let the ICPC do its job fairly. Let our universities check and verify before they certify or appoint anyone. Let Mr. Kila have his day in court, with every presumption in his favor. And let him show Nigerians the documents he claims will speak for themselves.

I have often defined corruption as breaking public trust. This goes beyond being a public official. My framework looks for corruption across the three arms of government, the three tiers of government, and the three sectors of society: public, private, and social. The public sector is the first among equals because it makes and enforces the rules. But the private and social sectors also hold public trust. A pro-chancellor leads a university council, and parents trust that university with their children.

If the alleged actions are proven true, we would be talking about fraud, false swearing, and possibly perjury. These are serious issues. Too often, our security agencies ignore corruption by the powerful, including in our universities. That is why I welcome the ICPC’s involvement in this case. The Commission deserves our support to follow the evidence wherever it leads.

Then there is the cleverest argument, captured in a Yoruba proverb about holding on to the one person you can catch. Is Kila just an easy target? Who might be next?

My answer is that he is not the first, and he will not be the last. I was a student at the University of Lagos when the Ọwọshọ scandal broke. It affected many students. The ICPC has prosecuted cases of fake certificates before. The Ministry of Education is currently working to stop people from claiming honorary degrees as if they earned them. If the PREMIUM TIMES reports are true, what is alleged here is even more serious.

This is why I must also address the universities. A newspaper should not be the first body to check a certificate that has already passed through a registry and appointments committee. Nigerian universities need to be self-critical. They should thoroughly check every credential before certifying or appointing anyone, whether as a student, lecturer, professor, or pro-chancellor. This means contacting the awarding institution to confirm that it exists and is recognized. A good CV and a familiar face on TV are not enough. If a false claim gets through, the gatekeepers also have questions to answer.

We must resist the Nigerian habit where someone accused of wrongdoing dares society to catch every other thief before addressing their case. No country cleans its house that way. We handle each case as it comes, to the best of our abilities.

Will one case change Nigeria? I doubt it. People still present fake results for university admission, decades after my time as a student. But to anyone asking who is next, I say: help find out. If you know of a similar case, report it to PREMIUM TIMES, SaharaReporters, the ICPC, or anyone else who will investigate.

Ọmọluabi Begins With Integrity

We spend a lot of time complaining about our country. I often wonder what has happened to our Ọmọluabi values. It is true that Ọmọluabi calls for wisdom in handling human misconduct. Wisdom is important. It means weighing the different sides of an issue against the society we want to live in.

But wisdom does not mean ignoring problems. The main trait of an Ọmọluabi is integrity. It is the head of all characters. To live in society is to be accountable. That civic-mindedness is what our brothers and sisters in the South call Ubuntu, and it fits well with Ọmọluabi. A compassion that asks us to drop integrity is not Ọmọluabi.

So here is my position. Let his family and friends support him. Let PREMIUM TIMES finish its work and correct any mistakes. Let the ICPC do its job fairly. Let our universities verify before certifying or appointing anyone. Let Mr. Kila have his day in court with every presumption in his favor. And let him show Nigerians the documents he says will speak for themselves.

If he is cleared, some of us will owe him an apology, and I will give mine without hesitation. If he is not, I hope this episode teaches every Nigerian parent to tell their child: a lie may run for many years, but the truth catches up in one day.